Sasanian Chalcedony Stamp Seal with Animal

Frieze including two standing attendants in flounced floor-length robes before a laden table and a seated figure in similar robes, the seated figure drinking from a vessel through a drinking pipe, behind him a stag with a small animal between its legs, a border of pellets above and below; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 21.9 grams, 40 mm



Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s.

With openwork body and lug to reverse, cage-style torso. 20.6 grams, 42.8 mm



From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.

Tongue-shaped in profile with incuse image of an advancing ram beneath a crescent moon, arrow in the field. 4.40 grams, 18.46 mm



Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s.

The ibex, a wild mountain goat with distinctive curved horns, was a popular and meaningful motif in ancient Near Eastern art. It often appears in Mesopotamian and Persian imagery, where it could symbolise strength, agility, and a connection to the natural and divine worlds. In some contexts, the ibex is linked with fertility and abundance, particularly through its association with flowing water and vegetation. Its elegant form also made it well suited to small-scale objects such as seals, where its image could serve both a decorative and symbolic purpose, reflecting the beliefs and environment of the cultures that produced them.